The College of Law Practice Management‘s 5th Annual InnovAction Awards are open for business! The Awards, which recognize outstanding and original innovation by a law firm, law department or legal services provider anywhere in the world, are accepting entries until June 1, 2010, so there’s still time for you or your organization to submit a nomination.

The InnovAction Awards, which have been given to small firms, global giants and non-firm entities in five countries on four continents, can cover everything from legal service delivery to legal marketing, from technological systems to client communication, and from law firm management to access to justice. The criteria are simple:

1. Absence of precedent (The innovation must have never been done, or done quite this way, before)
2. Evidence of action (An innovative idea was transformed into action, and not merely reflective of best intentions.)
3. Effectiveness of innovation (There is some measurable outcome that indicates the innovation is accomplishing what it was intended to do.)
4. Recent implementation (Action must have taken place within no more than three years prior to this entry)

Last year, the College instituted an Honourable Mention category for innovations that, while they might not be completely original, were executed or delivered in a unique way or to an unprecedented degree. So even if your innovation wasn’t the very first to appear, the way in which you did it might very well meet the Honourable Mention criteria.

Please don’t hesitate to email me if you have any questions. This is my third year serving as Chair of these Awards, and I can tell you that the variety and creativity of submissions never ceases to amaze year to year. If your firm or organization has done something original and innovative that made things better for your firm, your clients, your community or the legal marketplace, you deserve to be recognized for it — and we want to hear about it!